Method

Pan Yun drew five in a row, stopping only when her brush strokes began to feel sluggish and difficult.

She folded the completed talismans, placed two on him, and folded the rest to carry on herself.

With triple protection, she refused to believe anything could still happen to her.

Pan Yun glanced at the child. He could at least evade two calamities. Fate was hard to change, but fortune could be changed. Change it enough, and fate itself would change.

Heaven wanted him dead, yet she insisted on contending with it. In any case, she had to save father and brother, support the Pan family, and defy destiny. One more matter made little difference.

Pan Yun did not wish to linger here. After telling the child to sleep, she took out all their money and counted it.

There was one five-tael silver ingot and a handful of broken silver searched from the two traffickers. By her less-than-professional estimate, it should amount to seven or eight taels.

Her own money box contained only 2,300 copper coins. The traffickers had even fewer copper coins, just over six strings. Each string held a hundred coins. She had not counted them carefully before, but when she began spending money today and counted what remained, she discovered that it was still a little too little.

After deducting what she had spent today on food, buns, and lodging, she had 2,579 copper coins left. Oh, not counting the one tael of silver she had spent today—that had also been searched from the traffickers.

Though the two traffickers had been poorer than she expected, after doing the math, she found that what she had taken from them was still more than her savings from eight years.

She wondered whether this money could rent a carriage. Not having household registration was another problem. Everything now required either household registration or a travel permit.

The Carriage and Horse Agency did not simply rent out carriages to anyone with money.

The Imperial Court kept a tight grip on population movement. People could not migrate or travel about as they pleased.

Of course, wild people and refugees who did not enter cities were exceptions.

But she could not become a wild person or a refugee. To get from here to Datong, she had to pass through towns and cities.

Pan Yun looked back at the child sleeping soundly, scooped up the black cat, and lightly leaped out through the window.

Night had only just fallen, yet the streets were already empty. The alley where she landed was desolate and vacant. She looked up at the room's location, memorized the direction, and left.

She had to obtain a travel permit and a household registration page. When a travel permit was not strictly required, she could use the registration page in its place; when absolutely necessary, the travel permit could also come in handy.

Her plan was excellent, but as she stood at the street corner, she realized she knew nothing at all about She County. Naturally, she had no idea where to get such things.

Pan Yun's thinking was simple. The darkness of night was the best cover for a black market. No matter how small She County was, surely such a thing existed here?

Pan Yun walked along the foot of the walls, her entire figure hidden in their shadows. People hurrying home passed right by her, yet no one noticed a person walking beneath the wall.

Carrying the black cat, Pan Yun made a full circuit of She County. When she returned to the street where the inn stood, she wore a bewildered expression. "She County's public security is actually this good? In the middle of the night, there isn't a single person doing evil deeds—not even a black market?"

The black cat silently mocked her.

Pan Yun pinched the back of its neck. "What are you grinning about?"

The black cat stiffened and did not dare make a sound.

Pan Yun rubbed its fur, suppressing her temper, then climbed back into the room through the window in a very unhappy mood.

What a pity. Most of the city's beggars had been driven out, while the rest had hidden away. She could not find any of them. Otherwise, she could have bought information from them.

Beggars wandered through streets and alleys to beg; no one had sharper ears for news.

Pan Yun turned to look at the child sprawled on the bed, sleeping with his limbs spread wide, and sighed. There was a ready-made beggar right here—it was just that he was too young.

Pan Yun decided to visit the Carriage and Horse Agency tomorrow. No longer dwelling on it, she sat cross-legged and cultivated through two Lesser Celestial Circuits before ending her practice and going to bed.

When she woke after a night's sleep, the child's cheeks were rosy. He said happily, "That was the best sleep I've ever had."

Seeing how adorable he was, Pan Yun smiled as well. She got up and said, "Come on. Let's go downstairs to eat. Once we're full, we'll head to the Carriage and Horse Agency."

The child said, "I know the Carriage and Horse Agency. It's hard to beg for food over there. This street is the best place."

She County was not large. How big could a county town be when Pan Yun could stroll through all its alleys in half an hour?

The Carriage and Horse Agency was only two quarters of an hour away from this street.

Pan Yun led the child inside to ask about prices.

There were few people in the Carriage and Horse Agency. There were many near the entrance, but the farther in one went, the fewer people there were—and the more valuable the goods became.

Many ox carts, mule carts, and donkeys were parked near the entrance. Farther in were all kinds of carriages and livestock for individual rental. Beyond those were hired carriages, while the very innermost area sold horses.

Pan Yun asked out of curiosity, then immediately lost interest. The prices were too high. Her little bit of money was not even enough for a fraction of the cost.

She turned instead to ask about renting a carriage.

"From here to Datong?" The steward sized up Pan Yun and the child. "Will you be coming back?"

Pan Yun lowered her eyes, considered briefly, and asked, "What is the price if we return? What if we don't?"

"Forty taels if you return. The customer must cover the driver's food and lodging along the way. Thirty taels if you don't return, and you must cover his food and lodging for the outward journey." The steward asked, "How many people are in your family? How many carriages do you need?"

Excellent. Pan Yun, whose total funds did not even exceed twenty taels, gave up. "Are there shared carriages?"

The steward said, "There are for short trips, not long ones. Datong is too far from here. There are shared rides to the Capital City, though. If Miss is going to the Capital City, I can charge you fifteen taels."

Pan Yun was speechless. Did she have that much free time, to run all the way back to the Capital City?

Still, the steward's words gave her an idea. Pan Yun asked, "From here to Datong, what is the next town?"

The steward said, "You'd have to go to Qingfeng in Daming Prefecture."

Pan Yun asked, "How much from here to Qingfeng?"

She did not mind returning to Daming Prefecture. Those two people were certainly no longer in Daming Prefecture. Going back would be fine; she would surely pass them by without crossing paths.

The steward held up five fingers. "Fifty coins per person."

She could afford that. Pan Yun smiled. "When do you depart? There are two of us."

The steward pointed toward the entrance outside. "See that row of ox carts, mule carts, and horse carts? Go ask who's headed for Qingfeng. Usually there's one trip a day."

The moment Pan Yun heard that, she dragged the child over. Before long, she found a horse cart with six people already sitting on it.

The cart had no canopy, only an open flatbed. Everyone placed their luggage in the middle, then sat facing outward with their legs dangling down. Three people could sit in front, four on each side, and two more in the back.

Hearing Pan Yun's question, the driver immediately said, "Quickly call your family over. We're about to leave. Pay first, then get on."

Pan Yun asked, "Can the child be cheaper?"

The driver frowned as he assessed her build. "Not for you. Your younger brother can get ten coins off."

Pan Yun counted out ninety coins and gave them to him.

The driver froze. "Where are your parents and family? Why are two children traveling alone? I'm not responsible for watching people."

"I'm going to Qingfeng to find my father. When we get there, he'll come pick us up."

Upon hearing that, the driver allowed them to board.

Pan Yun lifted the child onto the cart, then jumped up herself. The two chose seats in the back, some distance from the others, where it was fairly quiet.

Sure enough, they set off as soon as they boarded.

When the cart left the city, the soldiers merely inspected the luggage on the cart before waving them through.

What delighted Pan Yun was that when they entered Qingfeng that evening, the gate guards checked everyone else's travel permits, but for this cart, they still only inspected the luggage. After glancing over the driver's travel permit, they let them pass.

Pan Yun's gaze flickered. After a moment's thought, she understood. These drivers traveled fixed routes, running between the same two places all year round. The soldiers at the city gates saw them every day and knew them well, so naturally they did not investigate closely.

This was good. This was very good. Even without a household registration page or travel permit, she could simply take short-distance shared carriages all the way to Datong.

The journey from here to Datong was far, but the next county north of this one was not far.

Having found a workable route, Pan Yun grinned, overjoyed.

She could not help telling the child, "The Peace Talisman really works. Didn't our good fortune arrive just like that?"

Pan Yun carefully calculated the money she had. If they stayed at an inn in every county town, this little money would be hard-pressed to last all the way to Datong.

But if they did not stay at inns and only bought food, the fare would be enough. After all, shared carriages for short trips were far cheaper than hiring a carriage for a long journey.

So when they entered another city, Pan Yun no longer sought an inn. She took the child to hide in an alley not far from the city gate. After eating, they found a secluded place to spend the night.

The child was very familiar with such a life. He did not complain at all. Once full, he lay down against Pan Yun and fell asleep.

Pan Yun covered his eyes. "Wait while I perform a magic trick for you."

The child immediately squeezed his eyes shut. Pan Yun chanted, "Spirits of heaven, spirits of earth, Daoist Venerable, pity me and send us a quilt!"

When she removed her hand, the child saw the quilt that had suddenly appeared in their arms. He let out a cry of delight and shouted, "A miracle! A miracle! It really worked!"

Pan Yun laughed and spread the quilt on the ground, letting him lie inside it. Half served as bedding and half as a cover, making it quite warm. "Sleep quickly. We still have to take a carriage tomorrow."

The child happily agreed and slipped into the quilt with a whoosh.

Pan Yun sat cross-legged and, as usual, meditated and cultivated.

It was not until deep into the night that she finished, then lay down in the quilt as well. The two slept close together.

She placed the black cat by her head and said, "You keep watch."

Pan Little Black had long grown used to it. Its glassy eyes remained open as it watched the mouth of the alley.

Having found a suitable way to travel, Pan Yun did the same thing the next day. She found the Carriage and Horse Agency and shared a cart northward to the next county town.

They changed carts once a day like this. By the fourth day, she was already nearing the Jijing Region.

The farther north they went, the stricter the inspections at the city gates became. On the evening of the fourth day, as they approached the gate, the driver called out, "Everyone, quickly take out your travel permits and household registration pages. You'll need them to enter the city in a moment."

Pan Yun immediately asked to get off. "My second uncle doesn't live in the city. He lives in a village over there, so I'll get off here."

The driver agreed and stopped to let her down.

Pan Yun carried the child down, shook out her aching, numb legs, and looked at the entrance queue stretching endlessly ahead. "Come on. Let's take a closer look and see whether there's a cheap way to enter the city."

She led the child forward. There were quite a few people beside the city gate as well. Most were family members helping line up, standing to one side while waiting to enter. Many notices had also been posted on the city wall, and those who could read stood there examining the newest ones.

Pan Yun led the child over too. Raising her head, she saw a familiar person on the wall at a glance.

Isn't that me?

Pan Yun's eyes widened. She quickly looked left and right. Only after confirming that no one had noticed her did she raise her head and rapidly scan the wanted notice.

Her name was not written on it. It merely said that she was connected to a major case of the Imperial Court. Whoever discovered this person and immediately reported it to the authorities could receive a reward of ten taels of silver.

If they captured her and escorted her to the authorities, the reward would be twenty taels.